Category: seasonal cooking

This Chłodnik – cold soup – my Grandma was making us quite often, we loved to eat it accompanied by boiled potatoes sprinkled with sauteed onions and/or fried bacon. I remember that we used to have only one shared plate of potatoes (with onions, bacon and dill) for the whole family and we would scooped some potatoes and fill the spoon up with chłodnik from our own bowl.

Chłodnik – cold soup is easy and really quick to do. It’s enough to cut the vegetables and combine them with sour milk or other favorite milk drink, such as buttermilk or kefir. We’ve usually used sour milk- zsiadłe mleko, as it was the most easily available at that time. Our neighbor had a cow and we used to get fresh milk from her. My Grandma would left some milk on the counter covered with a cloth and after 2 days sour milk have been ready. Now it is hard to make a decent sour milk out of the carton milk or it may be even impossible.

I’ve made Dandelion syrup few times so far. It’s so tasty. My children like pancakes splashed with Dandelion syrup just as much as with maple syrup.

In Polish folk medicine it is know from ages as a cure for cough and a help with liver cleansing. Dandelion syrup recipe can be found in Saint Hildegard of Bingen’s books and she lived in XII century:) It is sometimes called Dandelion honey, but actually it is a syrup. Try this easy recipe for homemade Dandelion Syrup. For more immunity booster recipes check: Immunity.

Important Note: Dandelion syrup should not be used by people suffering from hyperacidity nor with dandelion allergy.

Bear’s Garlic Creamy Soup is a full of vitamins Spring soup. A season for bear’s garlic (which can be also called wild leek, ramps, wild garlic) is quite short, use it and cook this healthy soup. If you still have some ramps left, you can try out other recipes: Bear’s Garlic Cream Cheese or Bear’s Garlic Pesto.

Early spring is the only time in the year when you can obtain fresh bear’s garlic (also called ramps or wild leek). In Poland it is a perfect time for it right now. Last year I made delicious Pesto, from this year’s batch I decided to make a bread spread: Bear’s Garlic Cream Cheese and a Bear’s Garlic Soup, which recipe is coming up soon. Stay alert not to miss my next recipe;) You can for example subscribe to my newsletter or follow me on Facebook or Instagram. Maybe you prefer Pinterest? Feel invited to choose your favorite way to stay in touch with me:)

Few weeks ago I met a Greek couple leaving in Warsaw. Dimitris asked me to show him how to cook Bigos. When we talked about Polish cuisine, Anja said that soups are something special for Poland. And this is a fact: in Poland soups are a staple in Polish homes for dinner. You can get it also in any restaurant, served as an appetizer. Check my review of 10 Traditional Polish Soups, soups I like the most and which are the most specific to Polish cuisine.

Delicious vegetarian Millet Stuffed Peppers are a staple in my house. In fall months peppers are cheap, so I buy them often and serve them fresh and baked. This time I had them stuffed with vegetables and millet. I cook seasonally and locally.

Mushroom Barley Soup is a great seasonal food idea for Autumn. If you happen to get fresh wild mushrooms you need to try it. The add of barley makes the soup more filing and comforting in chilling weather.

In September my friend Agnieszka took me to her old Summer place at the end of small Masovian village. She did not go to this place for few years, it appeared that a lot of young trees have grown there, most of all – spruces. How surprised we were to find a lot of Slippery Jacks all over the place:)

Last weekend we went to Mazuria district to visit my parents. It was the second year we celebrated our family’s Baked Potato Day:) After dark we lighted a campfire and we baked sausages and potatoes. My sister-in-law, Marzena told us about an onion water from Kurpie, she tried few years ago visiting her friends. It sounded interesting, so I asked google and found an easy recipe I followed: Woda cebulowa. Actually when we were drinking it, we remembered that our Grandma was sometimes preparing this kind of drink and we had it with boiled potatoes, only she was also adding sour cream and called it Kvas.

Review of Polish Potato Dumplings – check if you know them all!

Potatoes are one of the most popular food ingredient in Poland. They are cheap and can be easily stored during winter. Potatoes may be easily called a poor food. In the cities you can have pasta and rice more often, but in historically poorer countryside – you have potatoes! It is a popular side dish and a start to many other dishes, such as delicious Potatoe pie, Polish Farmer’s Casserole with sausages or: Polish potato dumplings. Check if you know all 5 kinds of Polish Potato Dumplings, I’m sure you will love it.

There is a whole variety of Polish potato dumplings, they vary in size and ingredients, whether cooked or raw potatoes are used, what kind of flour is used and is it served as a side dish or a main course.

Most of the farmers in Poland would say that Goosfoot is just a weed, quite hard to get rid off, and you actually hate it if you plant vegetables. But on the other side, you can have it free, use in the kitchen and have healthy Goosefoot soup – Zupę z młodej komosy.

When I say Goosefoot I mean a herb called in Poland Komosa. To be sure what kind of plant it is, please check wikipedia source: Chenopodium ficifolium.

What is interesting that a Goosefoot plant and Quinoa are very close cousins. While Quinoa is quite pricey and so much appreciated (at least in Poland), usual Goosefoot is still mostly considered a weed.

Simple, quick preparation and here you go: 2 lunches to take with you to work. Try roasted turkey fillet served with young asparagus and mashed potatoes. It’s dietetic and healthy portion of good food.

In spring, when vegetables start to grow, they are the freshest and the most delicious. Cabbage, potatoes, dill, cucumber, it is hard to resist:) This is a great time to try Polish Stewed Young Cabbage.